Equinox
by raiko.EXE
Summary: Shadows cannot exist without light, and if not for her he would have been consumed. How two war-torn individuals can manage to come together. – Kayn x Irelia
1. Chapter 1

**Interlude**

For Kayn, his fate had begun to write itself that day.

 _Expendable_ is what they had been called, and even Kayn's disposition reflected that up until he reached the battlefield. With no home or family to mourn them, they would be merely nameless corpses when the battle was over. Some of them didn't put up much of a fight, not even making a sound as their lifeless bodies hit the banks of the riverbed.

But Kayn would remember them. Maybe not by name, but as the kind boy who had shared his rations or the loud mouth who had ambitions. And as an enemy eyed him through the reeds after striking one of them down, a new need for survival kicked in.

He had to live. Not only to remember, but to punish those for allowing such heinous acts to occur in the first place.

Kayn felt the blood rush through his veins and his vision focus. The sword in his hands had always been heavy as it was meant for an adult, but only now did he realize that it would not do.

A muddied shimmer caught his eye, and Kayn recklessly flung the sword in the direction of his opponent before swiftly making for the object in question. A discarded but still sharp sickle, it's weight felt good in his hands as he met his attacker with a feral gaze.

He would _not_ die today.

It only took one swing to cleave the man cleanly through the waist, and all of a sudden he felt _alive_.

But he was not done – He would not rest until he'd cut down every last one of them.

The mud had dried and caked red by the time Kayn was finished, reaping Ionian and Noxian alike. The brothers he would have spared were already dead, leaving Kayn to traverse the sea of corpses alone.

He did not know how much time had passed when his eventual master came upon him. Starvation and fatigue had hit him to the point where he could barely keep a poor stance. But despite this, Zed had seen something in him, and the words that were spoken to him that day would change the course of his future entirely.

 _"Come, boy. There is still much for you to learn."_

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For Irelia, her fate had been stolen from her that day.

She had run as far as her feet could take her, the stained remnants of her family crest held close to her chest.

Her knees gave in as soon as she'd reached the old well, hurriedly fetching water and dipping the first of the pieces into the bucket to cleanse it of impurities. But even as she used the hem of her dress to wipe it as clean as she could, dark red traced the grooves in the metal and the coppery smell of blood would not leave her nose. It was almost as if she could taste it on her tongue, threatening to envelop her with the sins she had just committed.

 _"I'm sorry,"_ she wept to the lost spirits of her ancestors. She had dirtied the Xan honor by taking those lives, and even if they had taken her father and brothers, that did not make her actions warranted.

 _"Tell me what I should do,"_ Irelia begged, staring at the handful of blades in her cupped hands. There was no answer, their stillness only reminding her of how much she had lost. Her family was gone. Their sense of peace – their _lives_ – had been shattered, and she could not return to Navori after what she had done, much less protect her homeland like _this_.

Attempting to clear her head, Irelia continued to shine the pieces, slowing her actions to give each one the attention it deserved. Though they still felt tainted, Irelia formed them into the shape ofher family's crest. She gave one bow of respect, letting the grief flow through her before beginning to dance. The shards followed her movements as the melody and her grandmother's teachings echoed played in her mind.

The remnants were jagged and fragmented, but were still beautiful in their new form. They swayed as she swayed, bent as she bent, and channeled a new resolve within her.

Commanding the blades to encircle her, Irelia realized that her honor had not been broken, but had merely been reformed. And just like her blades, she would become sharpest at the break.

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It would take many years for these once-broken souls to cross paths. As the legends surrounding them began to spread, the Shadow Hunter and Blade Dancer seemed like two sides of the same coin – One bound by oath to the shadows of darkness while the other walked the path of justice and light. One cannot exist without the other, but it would take more than a cycle of the seasons to learn how to depend on one another.

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	2. Chapter 2

**i.**

Kayn first finds her at the mouth of a stream, not unlike the very place he'd first been discovered all those years ago.

She sits with practiced grace, polishing the shards of her weapon in an almost ceremonious fashion as Kayn watches with interest. He is fully aware of who this woman is, but has not has the pleasure of crossing blades with her just yet.

"Show yourself," she calls calmly, gaze not leaving her task. Kayn is pleased that her senses are so keen, and steps out from the shade of the great willow. But she is on her guard as soon as she realizes who he is, the Darkin infested eye a telling sign.

"I have heard the rumors about you, Shieda Kayn," she tells him, blades reforming themselves in a resting position behind her, but he knew they were ready to strike.

"I don't have nearly as many as you, Xan Irelia," he teases at her use of formality. The stream is not very wide, and it would only take a leap to cross it.

"I have no qualms with you or the Shadow Order," she says sternly. "We can both leave here–"

Kayn does not give her time to finish. He closes the gap and lunges with a decisive swing, but she evades him effortlessly.

"Show me why they praise you as hero, Blade Dancer!" he provokes her before coming at her again with a flurry of slashes and blows. The blades form a shield to protect her before flying narrowly past him.

"Stand down, Kayn," she warns him, weapons flying back to her sides. It was a fight she had not asked for, "Next time I won't miss."

But he does not listen and arcs Rhaast up, uprooting the reeds with a shockwave in her direction. But in an instant she is behind him, rendering his attack useless and stopping him short.

"I said _stand down_ ," she repeats. She has her weapons at his neck now, sharp edges just barely touching the sensitive skin of the area.

But for Kayn, this is a perfect opening. His body suddenly disappears as he takes an icy grip over her form. He feels her panic as she loses control and he tears through her limbs to tear her apart from the inside.

"Such a pity," he mentions when he leaves her body reeling and mangled in the water. "I was hoping you'd put up more of a fight."

It's when he turns his back to her that the many blades plummet into the ground around him, leaving him immobilized with no time to react. There is no mercy in her strike this time, and the blades dig deep into his skin while she kicks him to the ground. The force knocks his scythe out of his hands and the wind right out of him. Pinning him down, she tugs his face upwards by the braid and takes one of the shards to physically hold against his throat.

"That will not be enough to break me," she hisses. But Irelia does not finish him. With exhaustion crippling her, she manages to toss him aside in the place he'd left her to die.

The stones on the bed of the stream hurt when he hits them, but despite all the pain he was currently experiencing he can't help but feel impressed – Not only had she survived, but she had also bested him in combat.

 _"I want to taste her flesh,"_ Rhaast bellows when Kayn finally retrieves him.

"In due time," his wielder promises, and his thirst for power grows only stronger with this defeat.

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 **ii.**

This is not what she had expected.

Irelia has heard of the bandits composed of the old Noxian vanguards, pillaging the wealthier villages and stealing from the temples. She has been trailing one such group for days now, and had already sent word for her resistance fighters to meet her when a hunter alerts her of fighting within the forest.

She hurries to the enemy camp on her own, and is met with a grizzly scene. Bodies of soldiers were everywhere, and not all of them are in one piece. Red is smeared across nearly everything from the ground to the Noxian banners that have purposely been slashed.

She treads carefully, knowing that the murderer is probably still nearby. A sound alerts her and she follows, realizing it's coming from the supply crates. She ducks from tent to tent in order to get closer, and when she finally sees the figure she almost can't believe her eyes.

Kayn is picking through their rations.

His scythe is still dripping with blood, its single eye wide. She blinks to make sure she's not seeing things, but she swears she sees the demonic weapon moving on its own accord trying to free itself. It stops when Kayn finally senses her, completely unbothered by the destruction surrounding him.

"It's about time one of your kind showed up," he greets her casually through a mouthful of bread.

She emerges from her hiding place and steps over the corpses. "Why did you do this?"

"Are you, of all people, really asking me that?" Kayn's eyes narrow. "If anything, you should be thanking me."

She bites her tongue because he does have a point – The outcome would have been the same regardless of whose hand dealt it.

"If you're worried about the junk, you can take it. It has no value to me," he informs her, gesturing to the pile of artifacts nearby. He stuffs his satchel full and flings it over his shoulder to go, having taken only what he needs. His intentions are frustratingly unclear and it bothers her too much to let him go so easily.

"Wait," she commands, wondering if his story could be similar to hers. Of those affected by the same origin she has seen many outcomes, but none so tragic as this.

"Was your home also taken during the invasion?" Irelia asks firmly, and only then does he pause.

"Something like that," an amused look crosses his features and he sends her a coy grin. "But not quite."

"I'll kill you some other time," he adds with a farewell wave before disappearing through the trees.

Irelia doesn't take the last part to heart, but does wonder what more there is to the feared individual known as the Shadow Reaper.

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 **iii.**

It is two years after the Great Stand, and the elders had organized a festival at the Placidium in commemoration.

Kayn does not join them for obvious reasons, but there is some significance to him considering it's the day the Noxians were finally driven out. But he does wander the perimeter of the floating gardens as if looking for something, because even if this land is all he knows, he had been meant to lay dead like the rest of them.

Ultimately he is different, and it's why he cannot live as everyone else can.

He's making his way through the floating gardens when finds her alone. She is dressed like a Lotus acoltye and is dancing to the music from the festival above them. He has seen her perform the same maneuvers in combat, but the ceremonial movements are different – They are just as effortless, but there is more weight to their movement and meaning.

He doesn't bother hiding his presence as his feet pad through the flora and he sees her slow, "Why did you stop?"

"More like why are you interrupting," she retorts, blades readying themselves should he choose to strike.

But his attack came verbally instead, "Why is the hero of the Placidium not celebrating with her people?"

She tenses and he takes pride knowing he's hit a nerve.

"It's...a bother," she answers finally, arms folding in front of her chest as if to guard herself.

"Don't they look up to you?" He notes. For someone who otherwise carries herself so nobly, it's an uncharacteristically irresponsible answer.

"I never asked to be a leader," Irelia informs him pointedly. Her voice softens as she turns to the festive lights in the distance, "I never asked for any of it."

Kayn finds this strange since his own goal is to eventually lead the Shadow Order, but individuals of weaker resolve did exist.

"You don't have to be," he tells her. "You should be worrying about yourself more than those who worship you."

She seems to ponder his words for a moment while looking towards the Placidium, but does not reply.

"Keep dancing," he commands, looking bored of her already.

"Not for the likes of you," she huffs, but does not cast him away.

"Yeah, well I can't enter the Placidium to watch," he points out. The festivities were probably the only reason why he hadn't been spotted in the first place. Otherwise, the elders would have been trying to zap him with sealing magic by now.

"So dance," he repeats from his spot on the boulder. "So I can study your movements and finally beat you."

Her face adopts a puzzled expression as if she doesn't completely believe him.

"You should be focusing on your own movements, you know," she mentions, but concedes to his demands anyway. Her steps continue with the music, this time allowing the blades to fly with her for him to observe as they twirled around her limbs to create various flowers and shapes.

 _"So do you want to kill her, or mate with her?"_ Rhaast asks in his mind.

Kayn ignores him, focusing solely on Irelia instead.

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 **iv.**

If her brothers had lived to see this age, Irelia imagines one of them might be like Kayn.

It would be one of the younger ones like Ohn or little Ruu – Spoiled to arrogance and overeager.

At the very least his death threats had subsided into tenacious demands for sparring sessions, but she respects an individual who can identify their weaknesses.

"You're still too slow," she speaks between strikes. Her blades block his efforts easily before forcefully pinning him to a nearby tree.

"I'm _trying_ ," he seethes after emerging from the shattered bark, but the way he staggers suggests he's too fit to continue for now.

Irelia throws him his canteen before he can clumsily charge at her, "We're taking a break."

He releases a string of curses under his breath, but doesn't argue. Irelia soaks a cloth in healing salve, pressing it into his wounds as he drinks in front of the campfire she'd made earlier. Most of the cuts heal themselves upon contact, but the larger ones do not close and need to be dressed.

"What village are you from, Kayn?" she asks while wrapping his arm, finding now a better time than any to address what he'd said to her at the bandit camp.

"Noxus Prime," he states far too easily, and it makes her pull on the bandage a bit too tight.

"Watch it, will you?!" he jerks his arm away in response and sees her unease.

But it does make sense – Kayn is tall, but he stands far above most other Ionian men. And there was something about his appearance and build that had always struck her as a bit different, looking past the Darkin.

"What? Do you hate me now?" he taunts.

"No," she replies, finishing the knot and regaining her composure. "I want to learn more about you."

The look she sends him is serious. He shifts his legs to get more comfortable, a sign that he'll allow her to stay.

"Then ask," he says simply.

So she does.

He shares that he'd never known his parents and that his earliest memories were of the slums up until he was picked from them to become a soldier. He remembers watching some of his comrades die before even reaching shore, and more of them fall in their first battle on the Epool river before he finally decided he needed to survive and take down the Noxians who were responsible.

He recalls her how he was saved by Zed who taught him the way of the shadows, and also how he stole Rhaast, who's power threatened to overtake him completely.

The stars are out by the time he finishes his tale, and though Irelia has been mostly quiet, she finally understands.

"You've been fighting for Ionia in the places I cannot reach," she conveys. "And now I know why."

"Don't be foolish, I'm fighting for myself." he corrects her with a scoff.

Irelia is convinced he doesn't realize it, but hopes he might someday.

In the meantime, she merely nods and continues to stoke the fire between them.

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 **v.**

Irelia looks broken.

She's taken sanctuary under the eaves of an old shrine during the rainy season in territory of conflict between the Order and the remaining members of the Kinkou. There's a glaze in her eyes that he can't quite put his finger on, but the dark hue beneath them is a telling sign.

"Irelia," he begins, knowing she isn't praying to false gods for hope. "What are you doing here?"

"I left the Brotherhood," she tells him quietly, like it's some sort of curse.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" he dips under the roof to a crouch beside her.

"Yes but now they seek to unify, no, _control_ Ionia. That is never something I wanted," she says gravely. "And it's not just them. Countless lives have already been lost to rebel groups trying to overtake the provinces. It's no better than what Noxus has done."

"Did I do the right thing?" Irelia asks, finally meeting his gaze. Wet strands cling to her tired face and Kayn isn't quite sure he should be the one giving her the answer, but he ponders all the same.

The sound of rain fills the pause.

"As long as you made the right decision for yourself," he answers finally, reinstating his thoughts back beneath the Placidium. "That's the most important thing."

The look in her eyes changes as the thought sinks in.

"What they choose to do now is not your fault, he states sternly, knowing that most of the guilt she carries lies there.

"And if you don't agree with they're doing, you can just kill them all."

He's not exactly kidding, but he hopes it brings her some relief anyway as they wait for the rain to stop.

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 **vi.**

When Irelia stops in Pallas, the port city is covered in a sheet of snow upon her arrival. But the ocean air is clean and crisp and with a breath she feels renewed. She is visiting as an individual, not as a leader, to inform the elders of the factions on the rise.

They receive her more warmly than she had expected. The children particularly enjoy listening to her stories. She finishes recounting the battle of Dalu Bay when she spots him across the square, doing a double take to make sure that he's actually here.

But it's certainly the same streak of blue she hasn't seen in months, and the owlish look on his face hints that he's been staring. He hurriedly shoves his hands into his pockets and rounds a corner after recognizing he's been caught, but she's quick to catch up with him and latches onto his arm so that he won't get away.

"I almost didn't recognize you," the short sprint leaves her winded, but there are traces of a laugh as he wrenches himself free.

"And why's that?" Kayn asks, clearly irked. He already has an idea of what's coming, and it's not just because she's found him.

"I've just never," she bites back a smirk despite the glare he shoots at her. "I've never seen you with a shirt on before."

"It's _cold_ ," he huffs, arms crossing defensively. The extra garments look heavy, but they appear to serve their purpose well with the layers underneath.

"And it's not like I can walk around showing this off," he mentions to his Darkin affected arm. It was not so obvious from afar when hidden by the sleeves.

"It looks fine," Irelia says, and she's being honest. The haori does something to the line of his shoulders – makes them broader. Or maybe he's grown since the day they first met, and she's only now realizing it.

"What brings you to Pallas?" she pushes the thought aside to inquire.

"I came from the temple," Kayn answers briefly, but mild concern shows in his eyes. "That's all you need to know."

Irelia is curious, but does not press him. The legend of the temple's lost bow has reached many, and she knows Kayn does not want to suffer the same fate to Rhaast.

They've walked together a ways when he insists to leave sooner rather than later, but a tang yuan stall catches her eye and her stomach reacts to it.

"What are you doing?" Kayn almost hisses as she pays the grandmother behind the stall quite a bit extra.

She hands him one of the bowls and he stares into it blankly.

"They're the best in all Ionia," Irelia notes, taking a seat on old bench while gesturing him to join her. "Try some before you go."

He begrudgingly obliges, knowing he doesn't have much of a choice now.

Irelia waits for him to try his before tasting her own. The rice balls sweet and burst with the nutty flavor of sesame – the perfect accompaniment for a winter's day.

"So?"

"...Fine," he admits after a moment, taking another spoonful. "They're pretty good."

She licks the ginger syrup from her lips and feels the warmth from the inside out.

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 **vii.**

"Kayn, there is a woman here to see you," a fellow shadow acolyte tells him one afternoon. He agrees to send them in, but of women, he only really knew two who might ask for him.

There was the Dark Sovereign who would ask for him in the case that his master was away, and then there was...

"Irelia," he states once he reaches the main hall. He is impressed that she'd made the dangerous venture to the temple, and can only wonder how many of their own had been taken down in the process. "Finally decided to join the Shadow Order?"

"Not quite," she quips, hiding a smile behind her ribboned armguards. She performs a respectful bow nonetheless, acknowledging her position as a guest in his home.

"Well what do you want then? I don't have all day," he chides, even if it's a blatant lie; he's not all too unhappy to see her.

"The New Brotherhood has taken Navori," she informs him in a more serious tone. "They won't admit it, but its a direct attack in resentment towards me."

"I want to take it back, but not with an army," she states, hinting at her true intentions.

He feigns ignorance for the time being to make things fun, "And what does that have to do with me?"

"You can kill them all," she says simply. This time it's her who isn't quite kidding, and Kayn finds himself delightfully intrigued.

"Keep talking."

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	3. Chapter 3

**viii.**

"This is unnecessary," Kayn mutters. He's dressed akin to how he was in Pallas, only this time he attempts to hide his visage under a hat. "I could have easily slipped through and slaughtered them all by now."

"We're trying to attract as little attention as possible," Irelia remarks beside him in her normal garb, but with her hair tied up. "Do try to be patient."

But despite the collected voice she presents with, there's aggression in her stride that hints she wants a fight.

He sighs and rolls his shoulders under the uncomfortable layers as they continue to walk through the orchard behind the manor. It appears to be maintained, but might not remain that way with the new Brotherhood having taken control of her old home as their command center.

 _Just like the Noxians_ , she thinks to herself with quiet fury. Only this time, she knows it's personal. They wouldn't have selected this location otherwise.

They stop when the outer walls come into view.

"I need you to circle the grounds and count the guards," she reminds Kayn as she remains hidden among the trees. "Return with the head count and we'll divide between east and west."

"I remember," he says, passing through the wall with ease. Quiet moments pass until his return, feet landing on the ground with a soft thud.

"Twelve on each side. Most are moving through the grounds, but three are posted in the watchtowers," Kayn reports after his short observations. "The courtyard will be harder. but there should be enough cover to manage."

"Take the west, then." she instructs him. "There should be a few things I can take advantage of in the east."

They approach the wall together now and Irelia gives him a sidelong glace. The twitch in his fingers suggests he's overeager, and she knows that might cost them.

"Kayn?" she stops him suddenly.

"What?" He raises a brow, wondering if she harbors any hesitation.

"Be careful," she tells him, though its not that part that concerns her. "And quiet."

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 **ix.**

By the time Irelia reaches the courtyard, the grounds are still and there are no guards left in sight.

"About time you showed up," Kayn mentions, revealing himself from one of the pillars. "I had so much time I even cleared your share."

"I was trying to be thorough," she responds, but she cannot argue against his effectiveness. She scans the courtyard for any sings of movement and deems they are safe to push past the front gates. The entryway stands before them, and she takes a moment to compose herself before pushing past its old woodwork.

A small army of rebels greets them as if their arrival had been predicted, and Irelia's eye twitches.

"You clearly missed one," she remarks flatly.

"I would never be so sloppy," Kayn insists, looking almost offended.

"Did you hide the bodies?"

Kayn says nothing and she resists the urge to roll her eyes.

Ignoring the small misstep, Irelia looks to the hoard in front of them. The manor was adequately sized to house troops, and most of them look to be gathered here with more coming from the upper levels.

"Please, stand aside," Irelia urges them as a last offer of mercy. "I only wish to speak to your leader."

"We will not allow you to pass," A voice from the front answers her. The man looks resentful, even if she does not recognize his face, "Should you have chosen to fight with us instead, things might have been different."

Angry voices rise along with him, and it does not take her long to realize that negotiation is futile.

Kayn has appeared bored at the exchange until he feels her hand on his back and sees her eyes harden.

"Carve a path," she says simply and watches the grin form on his lips.

He lunges and forward to sweep a wide arc before them. Unable to react, a handful of soldiers fall to the ground with their innards spilling from their torsos. The rebels flood the hall in an attempt to surround them but Kayn continues his assault, cutting them down far too easily with Irelia pinning those out of his blade's reach.

A few minutes brings their fight to the bottom of the stairway. The boardroom is on the upper level, and Irelia's gut instinct tells her that's where she needs to be.

"I leave the rest to you," she tells Kayn before bounding up the steps. She thinks she hears something from him but cannot be sure through the sounds of agonizing screams and metal on metal.

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 **x.**

"Shinn!" Irelia calls as she flings the boardroom doors open with fury. Her former second in command sits at the head of the meeting table – the place meant for her father – with two guards at his sides

"Irelia," the man addresses her, unmoving from his chair. "I figured you would come."

"Why are you doing this? Taking by force is no better than what the invaders sought to do." Her eyes narrow and her blades ready themselves, "And to take my home, you have some nerve."

"I am doing what this country needs," he corrects her, unfazed. "And what you were too weak to do."

"Ionia should not be ruled under an iron fist!" she exclaims. "Destroying the diversity of the land – This is not what we worked to achieve for so many years."

"And that's exactly the problem, Irelia." Shinn says, folding his arms in agitation. "You regard the Brotherhood as something that is still _yours_ when you relinquished it, too weak to take advantage of an opportunity. Which that brings us here."

"Some of the leaders do not acknowledge me as they did you, Hero of the Placidium," he continues, rising to pace across the head of the boardroom. "I knew in order to draw you out I had to get under your skin."

The smile he wears mocks her futility, "And when I kill you, all of Ionia will be forced to recognize me as not only the leader of the Brotherhood, but the one who will unite them all."

"You believe your warriors can defeat me?" she questions, seeing only an empty threat. While leading the resistance fighters no one had been able to oppose her, and from the fighting outside that had not changed.

"They won't have to," he says with calm malice. It has Irelia on alert, but not even she is fast enough to stop him from pressing the buttons on the device that had been hidden in his pocket.

A burst of heat, smoke, and splinters hits her all at once, and though her blades are able to protect her from some of the damage, they cannot save her from the fall when the floor collapses under her feet. Her fall is broken by something hard that splits down the middle on contact, and when Irelia opens her eyes the entirety of her body hurts and is pinned down by the wreckage of the floor.

Through the haze she can make out the distinct sound of Shinn's laughter and sees his unharmed silhouette leering at her demise.

"You coward!" Irelia cries, only to feel a stabbing pain coming from her chest. The flames flickering around her grow larger by the second, and though she tries she cannot find the strength to free herself.

"Rest with your ancestors now, Xan Irelia," he tells her before disappearing towards the servant's corridors to escape.

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 **xi.**

The explosions catch Kayn by surprise as the second floor and the staircase buckle, dooming those who had been underneath. The note of panic in the air changes completely as the men now brush past him to withdraw. But he can only think of what has happened to Irelia as flames begin to spit from the direction she had gone.

The mission was supposed to be for fun on his part, but Kayn is now indignant. He slays the few that remain around him and advances towards the destruction.

 _"What are you're doing?"_ Rhaast protests in his mind. _"The woman is probably dead."_

"I won't believe it until I see it," Kayn says determined; he knows Irelia will not die so easily and tries peeling the crumbled panels aside.

 _"I will not allow such foolishness!"_ the Darkin demands. The weapon glows with rage, harnessing the power to become wholly sentient and leave his wielders grasp.

 _"I have been waiting for the moment where you might be so distracted."_ Rhaast speaks in a sinister tone before attempting to strike. _"And with the souls reaped on this night, I have enough power to take your body as my own."_

Kayn is barely able to evade the attack, finding a stray glaive to deflect the subsequent blows. But with no man behind the rival blade, he is unable to predict the opponent's movements.

"Stop this, Rhaast!" Kayn insists, but only has the glaive knocked out of his hands, staggering until his back hits a wall.

 _"Looks like this is the end for you, human,"_ Rhaast declares, readying a decisive blow. Kayn has known all along that this day would come, but never imagined being the one to fall against the Darkin entity.

A familiar feeling comes over him in the face of death – The same feeling he experienced on the banks of the river as a child.

He sees his master alongside Syndra and his fellow brothers of the order.

He sees Irelia, cheeks full of tang yuan and an annoying smile on her face.

He needs to _live_.

The scythe swings forward to pierce him, but Kayn catches it with one hand on the grip and the other around the curve of the blade. His arms shake as he anchors his feet to hold the pointed edge away from him.

"No, Rhaast," he declares through gritted teeth. Darkness enshrouds them like a thick mist as Kayn channels his own energy into the weapon. "You will heed to me!"

The cloud dissipates with a burst of energy and Kayn finds the scythe silent in his hands, examining the blade with caution. The demonic eye at its center no longer pulses with life, and the Darkin skin on his arm is no more.

Rhaast has been expelled. It's something he's wanted for a long time, but he cannot dote on the thought now; he still needs to find Irelia.

Kayn turns back to the collapsed stairwell and ghosts through the rubble. His senses have become sharper, it seems, as he can hear voices from afar. He hastily proceeds towards them, but he only finds three men after emerging from the walls, and one fits the description of Irelia's target like a glove.

"Oh good, you survived," Shinn says, mistaking Kayn for one of his own spldiers. "I've finished her off, now we can–"

His sentence remains unfinished as Kayn severs all three in a single swoop.

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 **xii.**

After calling her name until his voice runs hoarse, Kayn spots a sash of magenta under destroyed slabs of ceiling. The flames have not touched her yet and he rushes to her, desperation coursing through his veins helping to heave away the debris. When he can finally see her, he is relieved to find that she's still breathing.

"Kayn," she manages shakily. She is barely able to see him as he gathers her in his arms. "Are you hurt?"

"Me?" He can hardly believe the words she speaks to him, "You should be worrying more about yourself."

He examines her quickly – She's certainly wounded, but it's hard to tell where as they are both been plenty stained with red.

"Shinn, he–"

"I killed him," he informs her briskly. "Now stop talking, you'll only strain yourself."

She gives a weak nod and rests her head on his shoulder, exhausted but content with the fact for now. Kayn hurriedly makes for the back exit he'd passed earlier. When they reach the outside, it's as if half the city has surrounded the manor after seeing the smoke.

"A medic," Kayn demands, scanning the citizens for such an individual. "She needs one. Now."

But instead of aid, the people avert their gazes.

"She is one of your own!" he exclaims in disbelief as Irelia continues to sag against him.

"We never asked to be liberated!" an older man yells from somewhere near the gates. "That girl has been nothing but trouble every time the city has fallen."

Irate voices resonate with him, but Kayn cannot stand for the farce. It's no wonder Irelia wanted to leave this part of her past behind her. He senses her urge to speak before he lashes out himself.

"So you are all too stupid to think for yourselves and would rather be overrun?" he glowers, but the angry cries only grow stronger until a woman pushes her way through the masses.

"I will take her," she says, ushering Kayn away from the crowd and ignoring the burdens wished upon her. "Come with me."

The woman tells him she has always supported the daughter of Xan and her ideals, even if the majority thought otherwise. She also proclaims herself a studied healer though Kayn has little objection at this point, following her into a nearby neighborhood where the houses are packed together.

The doorway of her home is narrow, and as soon as he lays Irelia down he is surrounded by children who buzz about him like flies.

"I'm sorry the house is so small," she apologizes and urges them away. "It would be best if you stayed elsewhere. I can send word when she has healed."

"Very well," Kayn says, unable to argue even if he wanted to make sure of Irelia's recovery himself. They relay the directions to the nearest inn, and he is leaving through the screen door when her voice reaches his ears.

 _"Don't go."_

The words are so quietly he can't be sure if she'd said anything at all, but for her sake he knows he cannot stay, and the door slides shut.

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 **xiii.**

Kayn hates staying in one place for too long, and after three days of waiting for Irelia's recovery, he was reaching his limit. The people in this part of Navori were too accommodating, and it was making him antsy.

So when the healer's daughter appears and tells him that Irelia has awoken and is recovering well, he considers his options only for a moment before deciding he should leave altogether. He packs his belongings and pays the inkeeper, heading straight for the city gates. But his footsteps feel sluggish and heavy like he's forgetting something, only he knows full well what he's forgotten.

 _It's better this way_ , he keeps telling himself to quiet the small urge there is to see her. Even with those against her, the people need her now more than ever and Kayn does not belong here like she does.

The restless feeling remains after passing the city's borders. The main road ascends upwards into a small grove, and Kayn stops for a moment to view the city over his shoulder.

"Leaving so soon?" a voice from nearby calls to him, and the semblance of it is enough to have him on alert. But before he can pinpoint the source, Irelia has already appeared from behind one of the trees.

"Are you even well enough to be up?" Is the first thing he says to her, seeing the cuts and bruising on her cheeks. The robes she wears allow for more comfortable movement, and the lining is a similar color to the clumps of leaves alongside the road.

"I have been," she informs him with a keen look in her eye hinting she'd predicted his means of departure. "I was in a meeting with the elders before sending Miya to you."

Kayn remembers the adversity they had been met with. "They were responsive?"

"They are working towards a provisional government after the fall of the Brotherhood," she confirms.

He is surprised at the developments, but is more surprised that she's actually _here_.

"You've learned to control it," she says suddenly after noticing the lack of Darkin limb and the unfamiliar appearance of the scythe.

He nods, "It happened during the fighting." The ashy remnants of the manor can be seen from here, and now it bears importance to them both.

"Does he still speak to you?"

"No," he responds. He realizes it's the closest thing he's ever felt to grief, "It's very...quiet now."

She cannot fully understand but the look in her eyes softens anyhow, and only now does Kayn realize how blue they are. They're not like the sky, but like the ocean, where one could become lost.

"I always believed in you," Irelia says with reverence, and that alone puts him more at ease.

She steps closer and takes his changed hand into her own to study. The pads of her fingers gingerly graze over his palm, then move to the thinner skin over the veins just above. The sensitivity to her touch is unlike the dulled sensation of the Darkin; it deems human.

She wraps her fingers around his wrist and examines his face. He does not flinch, but there is something in her gaze that he can't quite place and he finds himself anxious for completely different reasons.

It dawns on him suddenly that it looks like she's about to kiss him.

And after a moment, she _is_ kissing him after rising onto her toes and it feels _nice_.

Despite her injuries, Irelia's lips are soft and sweet and Kayn is eager to respond. He clasps the hand that guides him, only to find her pulling away as quickly as she'd started.

"What was that for?" he asks her, slightly winded. His hold has not released, but it is not demanding.

"A thank you for saving my life," she responds in practicality, but the way he arches his brow expresses his doubts.

She takes a breath.

"And because I've grown fond of you, Shieda Kayn," she says with honesty now, and admitting the thought is freeing.

A smile forms on her features, and it's not only because of the sheepish look he has adopted.

"I want to help the cities that were under the Brotherhood's control," she tells him, for her job is far from finished. "Will you join me?"

There is a brief period of contemplation.

"Alright," he concedes, even if he had no real qualms to begin with. "Up until the monastery."

Her smile grows as she attempts to lead him, but Kayn's grip is firm.

This time, he's the one who pulls her in.

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 **Fin.**


End file.
